Death and Destruction without Fear of Consequences

The upcoming election for president of the United States is important on many levels but especially because of our poor standing on the international stage. Our allies no longer trust us and our enemies do not fear us and Iran is proof positive.

With all of its faults and unknowns, the Iran Nuclear Deal is over and done. Israel has moved on but is making plans and provisions for the known and the unknown. Israel has a front row seat watching the powers and governments in the Middle East change and rearrange on almost daily basis.

As part of the gift package to Iran, President Obama lifted the sanctions on Iran giving them a financial boon to use as it wills and what it wills is to destroy America and Israel. Iran has wasted no time in enhancing its proxy wars by supporting the terrorist organizations Hezbollah in Lebanon to the north of Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. With an influx of capital, rocket and missile armaments used by these two terrorist entities will be bolstered and advanced projectiles systems with greater accuracy will be acquired. All of this is quite unnerving for Israel which remains America’s only friend and ally in the Middle East despite the fact that the current administration in Washington D.C. has practically thrown this tiny nation under the bus.

Is Israel justified in being concerned now that Iran has been smiled upon by the United States? Absolutely! Hezbollah has acknowledged having thousands of missiles and rockets aimed and ready to pound Israel. Hamas is continuing to build tunnels through which to smuggle weapons and infiltrate Israel to perpetrate acts of terror on innocent Israelis. Israel is rightly justified in moving forward with a real sense of urgency to enhance its defensive and strategic capacities.

With the advent of the Iran Nuclear Deal and America’s unwillingness to play any significant role in the shifting affairs of the Middle East, Iran has been emboldened to capitalize on the winds of political change. There is nothing to hold them in check and no real mechanism in place to verify their compliance with the terms of the nuclear deal therefore Iran has been empowered to follow its rogue ambitions against Israel. At a recent press conference in Beirut, Iran’s ambassador publicly declared that Iran will pay $7,000.00 to any Palestinian who dies while committing the murder of an Israeli. To a Palestinian, this is quite a sum of money it very tempting for Palestinians to become paid assassins. Iran’s ambassador went on to declare that any Palestinian family who has their home destroyed by the IDF because it was found to be harboring terrorists or supporting terrorists’ activities will be paid $30,000.00. This sum is akin to a person in the United States winning the lottery.

Where is the public outrage? Has the world settled on a ‘new normal’ whereby it’s acceptable to threaten Israel and the Jewish people with death and destruction without fear of consequence? There are laws against hate speech but it seems Israel is not protected by them. Once again, this is another double standard.

In spite of these dark storm clouds, there is a somewhat silver lining. In the Middle East, new defensive alliances are being made between countries that never would have been made prior to the Iran Nuclear Deal. Intelligence is being shared on a larger scale and business and economic pursuits are being discussed. New channels of communication between Israel and her Arab neighbors are being opened because all are unhappy with Iran’s emerging power and boldness in the region.

Known for its patience, Iran now has the freedom and the time to engage in deceptive practices while it builds its nuclear capabilities in secret and Israel is well aware of Iran’s method of operation. While Israel is certainly capable of holding her own against Iranian aggression, Iran is sending a psychological message to the world that they are strong and capable and will do whatever they want to do and they will do it their way. Prime Minister Netanyahu seems to be the only leader of the free world who recognizes the proverbial ‘elephant in the room’. Iran fully intends to have a deliverable nuclear bomb at its earliest convenience. Left unchecked, this is certain to happen sooner rather than later and it would be no surprise if they were somehow aided by North Korea.

Only time will tell what the future holds for Israel in the changing Middle East, however I trust the God of Israel to give His divine wisdom to Israel’s leaders. Perhaps He will send a miracle or two just as He did in 1967 and 1973.